Game



Feb. 4, 1941.

R. DAVIS GAME Filed April 22 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 1r: mentor Jam; 6

A i'iomeys Feb. 4, 1941. R. DAVIS 2,230,743

GAME

Filed April 22 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Eav Jzvzs I Aiiorncys Feb. 4, 1941. R. DAVIS 2,230,743

I r r 2 8455 H17 I zanss H17 mum-E 2 our Inventor A iiom eys R. DAVIS Feb. 4, 1941.

GAME

Filed April 22 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A iiorneys Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a game especially adapted to afford amusement to both adults and children alike and requires a maximum amount of skill on the part of the players, and has for the primary object the provision of an elevated game board marked off or laid out for the playing of a selected game, such as hockey, baseball, or any other well known similar game, and game pieces movable over said board by magnetism under the direct control of the players, whereby the player or players of one side may attempt to move the game piece into selected scoring areas on the board through the use of a magnet, while the opposing player or players will attempt to prevent the game piece from moving into the selected areas of the board by magnets, it being understood that the players alternate in the playing of the game and the player or players of the side obtaining the greatest number of scores naturally wins the game.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating a game board constructed in accordance with my invention in which the playing surface is laid off or arranged in the form of a. hockey field.

Figure 2 is a side elevation illustrating the same.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

' Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a front elevation illustrating one of the manikins which forms a guard for the goal.

Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating the game piece or puck.

Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating one of the magnets.

Figure 8 is a top plan view illustrating a modified form'of my invention wherein the playing surface of the board is laid out or marked 01f 50 in accordance with a baseball diamond and having at one end of the board a manually actuated bat for striking the game piece over the playing surface. I U

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken on the line Ill-40 of Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a detail sectional view showing how the magnet is associated manually with the game piece to bring about movement of the game piece 5 over the playing field.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the game piece as used in the modified form of my invention.

Figure 13 is a perspective view illustrating an- 10 other form of magnet from that shown in Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings in detail and especially to the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, the game board is indicated 15 by the character 5 of substantially rectangular shape and supported at a selected distance above the floor by legs 6. The game board further includes a rigid frame 8 constructed of any material suitable for the purpose and which has ap- 20 plied thereto, as shown in Figure 4, a playing surface 9 constructed of paper, cardboard, or any other material permeable by magnetism and the top face thereof is preferably polished or calendered. The frame 8 is grooved to receive the 25 sheet of material which forms the playing field or surface 9 and said sheet of material is held in the groove by inserts l0 held in the groove of the frame by nails or like fasteners ii I.

Goals l2 are arranged at the opposite ends of 30 the playing field and are in the form of vertically arranged spaced uprights l3 to which is suitably secured a curved goal net or fabric M which may also be secured onto the end members of the frame. Said end members of the frame are provided with slots IS in which are arranged vertical pivots l6 pivotally supporting rods it which extend through the goals and support manikins llfor swinging movement in front of the goals and acting as guards. The rods M are provided on the outer ends thereof with handles I8.

The playing field has arranged transversely thereof and upon the under side a barrier l9 which divides the playing field in halves and may be in the form of a rigid member or an elastic element. The barrier is secured on the frame 8, the purpose of which is to provide a divider for the players in playing of the game.

A game piece 20 includes a metallic portion 2| to ride on the playing surface of the board and a composition body portion 22 secured therea to, the purpose of which is to provide the desiredthickness to the game piece. The game piece may be termed a "puck" in the playing of a game of 1 hockey and the movement thereof over the areas or zones have been so marked as to provide playing surface of the board is through the use of magnets in the hands of the players, one of which is indicated by thetcharactierthitun'idiig la er sitions the magne agains e id or f ace of the playing field in the vicinity of the game piece and as the magnet is moved in close proximity to the game piece, the latter is attracted thereby and caused to move with the movement of the magnet. The player moves the game piece by the magnet in the direction desired or toward the goal preferably in a slow movement and then snaps the magnet away from the board and the game piece then slides over the board by momentum in the direction selected through the movement of the magnet in a plane with the playing field or surface of the board.

The playing board, as before stated, has two defensive goal tenders in the form of manikins manually operated through the swinging of the rods I l by the handles l and each are composed of a printed or other photographic reproduction on paper or metal of a human hockey player affixed to a wood block or any other suitable backing which is in turn connected to the rod.

In the playing of the game by the players it is important that the game piece be employed as an accelerating force by first making contact through the playing surface with the magnet in the hand of the player and moving in the direction selected and then quickly breaking the contact of the magnet and thereby release the magnetic force which will permit the game piece to move the distance and direction desired without further application of power.

In playing of the game the conventional rules or regulations applicable to ice hockey as played by human players shall apply insofar as possible and the board be marked identical to regulations of an ice hockey field and the game played with the restraining bar or medium either applied or removed from the board. The goals scored when the player has removed his magnet beyond the restraining line do not count and a player should not attempt to secure possession of the game piece when in the opponents territory.

A game will consist of a period of time agreed to by both players before starting. The player scoring the greatest number of goals during the period of time is the winner and should a tie exist at the expiration of the agreed period of time an extra period of five minutes or any other length of time shall be played to determine a winner in accordance with the agreement made between the players. Whenever the playing piece comes to rest on the center dividing line or over the top of the barrier, the player having made the last shot shall relinquish possession to his opponent. To avoid the defensive goal tender, goals may be attempted by caroming the game piece off of the side boards or portions of the goals.

Referring to my modified form of my invention, the game board is indicated by the character 24 and is constructed in a like manner to the game board and the playing surface thereof is marked off or laid out in accordance with a baseball diamond. Also, including certain areas or zones bearing indicia setting forth the plays of the ball game and further one of the end members of the board 24 is provided with pockets or slots 25 bearing indicia setting forth a certain play of the ball game such as indicated in the drawingsa home run". By referring to the indicia on the playing field it will be seen that for all of the plays that may occur in an ordinary game of ball. The end member of the playing board 26 opposite to the one having the pockets 01' slots 25, supports spaced horizontally arranged members 26 connected by a vertically arranged shaft 21 on which is journaled a hat or striking member 28 adapted to be manually actuated. A coil spring 29 surrounds the shaft and has one end anchored to one of the members 26 and the other end to the bat for the purpose of swinging the bat in one direction and which will have its tension increased by the manual movement of the bat in an opposite direction.

By referring to Figure 8, it will be seen that the bat is arranged rearwardly of the home plate and to strike the game piece which is indicated by the character 30 the bat is manually moved by its handle end in one direction on its pivot and quickly released by the player permitting the spring to swing the bat in an opposite direction for the p se of striking the approaching game piece and as this game piece comes to a stop in an area, whatever that area is labeled is the play occurring in the game. As will be seen from Figure 8 an area in rear of the home plate is marked Strike and another one Ball," these areas being enclosed by lines drawn on the board andthe Strike area is of such a. width that the effective part of the bat will extend across the same so that a playing piece entering this area can be struck by the bat if the bat is manipulated at the proper time. However, a playing piece entering the Ball area cannot be reached by the bat so that a playing piece entering the Ball" area will be counted as a Ball" against the pitcher of the opposing team.

The end member of the frame of the game board 24 adjacent to the bat has a. plurality of sockets 30' and also there will be provided for positioning in said sockets a series of pins for keeping a count of the plays. It is to be understood that the game piece 30 is constructed similar to the game piece of the other form of my invention and it is to be moved over the field in a like manner through the manual manipulation of'a magnet which in this instance may be in the form as indicated by the character 32 in Figure 13.

In playing the game, one player assumes the position for the actuation of the bat while the other player moves the game piece over the playing field through the use of the magnet 32 in a manner similar to that described in the other form of the invention. In the playing of this form of the game the modern baseball rules as played by human players apply insofar as possible. A pitch which passes the pitching mound or circle but does not reach the batters box is counted a ball. A pitch which causes any part of the game piece to pass through a strike zone is considered a strike. The person operating the bat is termed the batter and he is not permitted to allow the game piece to come to rest before striking with the bat. Such an attempt will be counted as a strike. A pitch which strikes the bat and which the oii'ensive player does not ofl'er or endeavor to hit is a foul ball and, therefore, a strike. Any unsuccessful attempt by the offensive player to hit the game piece is considered a strike. Any hit which results in the game piece leaving the board is counted a strike. Four balls entitle the player to take first base, three strikes out. Play is indicated by means of the position where the game piece comes to rest after being struck by the bat and when any portion of the game piece comes to rest in an area marked on the player is out. When the game piece bisects a line between two areas markedof bases as the batter after making a fair bit,-

these markers may be of any desired character. A double play or two outs shall be counted when the batter hits the game piece in the area so marked with first base occupied. If first base is unoccupied such a. play counts one out only.

A "stolen base may be counted and the player on first advanced to second when the batter hits the game piece to the area so marked with a player on first base, but if second base is also occupied the runner on first base is out; A game piece hit to this area counts as a strike on the a batter and batter is out if he has two strikes beally outlined above may be modified or changed without affecting the present invention.

It is believed that the foregoing description when taken in connection with the drawings will fully set forth the construction and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to which such a device relates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

What I claim is:

A game device comprising a board forming a playing surface and having a home plate, a

flange around the board, a. horizontally arranged forkedmember having one end connected with the flange with the forked end extending over a part of the playing surface with its prongs vertically spaced, a bat having an intermediate portion passing between the prongs, a pivot pin passing through the prongs and said intermediate portion and spring means for moving the major portion of the bat away from the adjacent portion of said flange when the bat has been manually moved in the opposite direction, said board having an area outlined' thereon in rear of the home plate and alongside the forked member and over which the effective part of the bat extends when the bat is in a position at right angles to the forked member, said area having the word Strike thereon and a Ball area alongside the "Strike area placed beyond 8 the bat.

RALPH DAVIS. 

